


Where The Grass is Greener

by Cyllia



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Anal Fingering, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama, M/M, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Slightly depressing, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:55:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28352790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyllia/pseuds/Cyllia
Summary: When Naruto glanced behind him, his breath caught in his chest. Looking at Sasuke once more, he saw he didn’t change at all in the past year. Not a single strand of his hair was out of place and his clothing was impeccable and wrinkle free. What struck him the most was his eyes. They were still as piercing as always; a bead of sweat was already rolling down his temple just from meeting his gaze.“It hasn’t been a year yet–““Yes, it has been.” Sasuke released his shirt collar and stood. “It’s time to go back.”_________________As a bearer, Naruto’s only purpose in life is to bear a child. It’s a noble sacrifice that’s he’s been taught to embrace, but what if he wanted more?
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 20
Kudos: 60





	1. Goodbyes

Naruto sat on the edge of the dock, his back to the murky water behind him. They all huddled into a circle on the narrow walkway, watching intently as Kiba shuffled five playing cards on the sun burnt wood. 

“Remember what we all agreed on, right.”

Head nods followed by ‘yeahs’ went around the circle. Naruto dug his sweaty palms into his pants and leaned forward. Kiba laid down the five cards, their red checkered backs glinting in the sunlight. He saw Kiba exhale, then with the slight nod of his head, five hands shot out and there were no longer any cards left on the deck. 

Biting his lip, Naruto breathed slowly, then flipped his card over. 

Queen of Hearts. 

“Come on! This game isn’t fair,” he said throwing the card back at Kiba. 

Choji laughed, flipping his card. It was a two, similar to the two that Shino had, and the two Shikamaru had, and the two Kiba held arrogantly in his hand. 

“How come I always get the other card?”

“Not my problem.” Kiba shrugged. “It’s better this way, you’re the best at it by now.”

Naruto groaned. “Fine.” The wood creaked as he got to his feet. “But next time I’m shuffling the cards.”

Kiba laid back, his elbows bent and hands under his head. “Sure.”

“Bring back some chips too,” Choji added.

Grumbling to himself, Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets as he trudged down the dock towards the center of town. Humidity hung in the air and gnats swarmed around him. It was May, he thought, or maybe June. He’d lost track, but from the first week he’d gotten here he already stopped keeping track of the months. All he knew is that it hadn’t been a year yet. And that was all that mattered. 

It was silent as he went downhill alongside the water; there wasn’t a single other person or thing but him on the cracked and worn down road. The first sign that he was getting close to town was the sound of dogs barking and the distant noise of people milling about. Naruto frowned.

“Stupid Kiba,” he muttered. 

It was a game they introduced him to when he first arrived. They would either do small contests or draw cards, and the loser, usually Naruto, had to go into town to the local corner store and “borrow” a bottle of liquor and whatever else the winners wanted. This time chips. They said it was tradition, but Naruto was starting to feel like it was hazing for him. Especially since the owner caught him almost every time and smacked him with his cane. Naruto rubbed his wrist, remembering the last time. The mark was even still there. 

Small shops lined the main road with the waterline showing between the buildings. Coming upon the corner store, Naruto thought of how he was going to proceed this time, but today the old man and his cane weren’t guarding his shop. It was strange. When he turned the corner, there was barely anyone on the street. 

His steps slowed as he looked around. A smile found its way to his face. Quickly, he made his way into the store and went directly towards the alcohol shelf in the back. Still, he felt nerves swarming around in his stomach, so he grabbed the first bottle he saw and then whatever bag of chips and dashed out of the store. He laughed, feeling invincible. Like a mouse that just outsmarted a fox. 

Holding his treasures to his chest, he followed the road that left town and headed uphill towards Kiba’s house. He already knew that they’d be on their way there. They probably didn’t expect him to be back so soon. 

When he reached the top of the hill, he paused for a second and turned to face the town. He could see all the buildings below him, and then behind them the water stretching out for miles and miles. He looked at the horizon, but the more he glanced out at it, the more it reminded him of what lay on the other side of it. A shiver went down his back. 

His fingers clenched the glass bottle in his hand as he looked away. There, by the pier, a group of people clustered together around something. A car. 

A black car sat on the edge of town. The sun shone off it in a blinding glare. Nowadays, people in the town didn’t have cars. Not anymore. 

The joy he felt before vanished from his body. He almost lost his grip on the bottle and chips. Breaths coming out in shorts puffs, Naruto turned and sprinted back to Kiba’s house. 

He came upon them, sitting in the yard. They looked surprised to see him so soon, but Naruto ignored them and went inside through the back door. He ran upstairs to where he was staying and grabbed the first bag he saw. Without thought or reason, he shoved whatever random possessions he had scattered abound into his bag and took out a bundle of cash he’d been saving up. He knew he had at least a couple hundred dollars in that wad of cash, yet it felt weightless in his hand. 

Exhaling, he slung the bag over his shoulder and dashed through the bedroom door. The sound of footsteps approaching made him freeze. 

“What’s going on?” Contrary to Naruto’s frenzied disposition, Kiba looked as relaxed as ever. He rose an eyebrow at Naruto. “And where’d you get all that cash from?”

“It’s mine. I didn’t steal it if that’s what you were thinking.”

“I wasn’t thinking that, not for the most part,” he mumbled. “You going somewhere?” He asked eyeing the bag on Naruto shoulder. 

“I have to leave–“ Naruto suddenly stopped mid sentence. It barely registered to him but he heard the sound of the front door opening followed by Kiba’s sister’s voice. 

“Crap.” The hair on the back of his neck stood up. His grip on his bag started to loosen. On silent feet, he backed into the room, avoiding all the creaks in the wooden floor. 

“Hey– “

Naruto turned and held his finger up to his mouth, silencing Kiba. 

“I’ll explain later,” he whispered, “I just need to leave for now.” With a deep breath building up in his lungs, he tip toed to the window and forced the window open. He leaned out and looked down. It wasn’t that long of a jump. Griping the windowsill with one hand, he hung his bag out the window and let it slip through his fingers. It fell with a thud.

He exhaled. “I can do this,” he said to himself. His leg lifted off the ground. 

“Where exactly do you think you’re going?”

Naruto froze at the voice. It was one he hadn’t heard for awhile now. Goosebumps blossomed on his skin. 

He bent over and got his leg over the edge of the window, but before he could make the jump he felt a hand grabbing the back of his shirt, pulling him back in. Dust rose from the floorboards as he fell back onto it. 

“How stupid are you? Are you trying to get your head split open?”

When Naruto glanced behind him, his breath caught in his chest. Looking at Sasuke once more, he saw he didn’t change at all in the past year. Not a single strand of his hair was out of place and his clothing was impeccable and wrinkle free. What struck him the most was his eyes. They were still as piercing as always; a bead of sweat was already rolling down his temple just from meeting his gaze. 

“It hasn’t been a year yet–“

“Yes, it has been.” Sasuke released his shirt collar and stood. “It’s time to go back.”

Naruto’s gaze lowered to the floor below him. Unconsciously, he clenched his hands into fists. 

“Can I at least have some time to say goodbye?”

Sasuke silently observed him for a few seconds. “You have ten minutes.”

“Gotcha, thirty minutes.” Before Sasuke could respond, Naruto stood and dashed out the bedroom door. He walked down the narrow hallway until he reached the set of stairs that laid at the end. There was a window that overlooked the backyard where Kiba and the others currently stood. Cobwebs and dust hung off the top of the window and the yard outside was overrun with weeds and burrs that used to stick to his clothes. 

The stairs creaked under him as he walked down and then out through the back door. The moment he stepped outside, four pairs of eyes landed on him. Seeing them, he groaned. 

“Come on guys, enough with the pity looks.” As he walked closer, he could’ve sworn he heard a sniffle come from one of them. “It’s not like I’m being executed.”

“But you’re leaving, aren’t you?” Choji said. 

He rubbed the back of his neck, gaze lowered to the ground. “Yeah, but I’ll be back before you know it.”

When he looked up at them, no one looked convinced. 

“You’re not in any trouble, right?” Kiba asked. 

“No.” Naruto shook his head. “I made a deal where I could stay here for a year, and it’s been one year.”

“Are you sure? He kinda looks like a debt collector.” Simultaneously, all four looked up at the bedroom window where Sasuke still lingered. 

Sighing, Naruto crouched and tore blades of grass from the ground. “No, it’s nothing like that.”

“You never did tell us where you’re from.” Shikamaru said. 

“Yeah, you just appeared one day.” Kiba sat on the ground next to him. 

“About that...” Naruto trailed off. When he looked back at them, they all stared at him expectantly. “You know that island on the other side of the gulf?”

“The private one, where those rich people live?”

“Yeah.” Naruto watched as the dots connected in their heads. 

“Bullshit. The only way you’d ever live over there is if you were a maid or something like that. And we all know how terrible you are at every type of household chore there is.” 

He glared at Kiba. “I’m not that bad at household chores.” 

“That’s why he looks familiar. He matches the descriptions of the family that lives there.” Shikamaru glanced up again at Sasuke.

“And you lived there?” Choji asked. 

“Yep.”

“Why would you ever wanna leave then?”

Naruto huffed and turned to face Kiba. “It’s not as nice as it seems you know. It’s complicated.”

Kiba raised his hands. “Okay, okay. I’m just saying though, if I had the opportunity to live on my very own private island, I’d do that rather than live in this old, run down house.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “Can we talk about something else?”

They all went silent. For a second, Naruto closed his eyes and let his shoulders relax. The grass and weeds tickled the palms of his hands while he inhaled the scent of pine trees. 

“There’ll be fireflies tonight,” Shino spoke. 

Naruto opened his eyes and stared around at the surrounding trees. “Yeah?”

“Remember the first time you saw fireflies. You thought it was some rare and valuable bug and tried to catch every last one” Kiba snickered. 

“I’d never seen them before. And they were just so bright.”

Choji laughed and plopped down on the ground next to them. Soon, they all sat clustered on the ground, reminiscing about old memories. Time flew by and before he knew it he heard the door opening and footsteps on the porch. 

“Naruto.” 

He closed his eyes. He laid there for a few seconds before he stood up. “Well, I guess this is goodbye for now.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll see you again.”

Naruto nodded his head. “Yeah.” 

Slowly, he took a step back and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan to update every Friday, but we’ll see how that goes. I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes and if you like the story so far leave a kudo or comment. Enjoy!


	2. Sunset

The ride to the dock was a silent one. Sasuke didn’t say a single word, he simply drove the car down the road towards the pier. Naruto fidgeted, his eyes scanning for any way of escape. But there were none. 

“You couldn’t of given me one last full day to enjoy?” Naruto rested his chin on his hand while he looked out the window. Nostalgia rose within him, and suddenly countless memories of him and his friends playing on this street filled his mind. His eyes burned. 

“Yesterday would’ve marked one year, so I gave you yesterday.”

“How generous.” Naruto frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. Sasuke said nothing. “It’s not like I’m gonna be staying for long this time either. I’ll talk to Fugaku and I’ll be back here within the next week.”

“I doubt that.” 

“Yeah? Why’s that?”

“Your birthday’s coming soon.”

Naruto stilled. He’d forgotten entirely about his birthday, it wasn’t something he liked to think about the older he got. A shiver crawled its way up his back. Looking out the window, his hand discreetly made its way to the door handle. 

“You can’t open the door from inside. I made sure of it.”

Naruto still tried. He sat back in his seat when it didn’t budge at all. “Bastard,” he mumbled under his breath. All he could do was sit there and wait for whatever future there was for him. 

~~~~~•~~~~~

The sun was sitting below the horizon by the time they reached the empty dock. Highlights of the orange sky reflected in the water that stretched miles and miles before them. Naruto bit his lip as Sasuke parked the car and then got out. He came over to his side and opened the door, not even acknowledging Naruto in the process. He then turned, walking towards the pier. 

Naruto huffed, making sure to slam the car door behind him. On the water, a small, white boat bobbed up and down on the waves. The closer he got to it, the more his feet began to slow, feeling heavier with each step. Eventually, he froze. Anxiety settled in his gut, he was too nervous to even move. His fingers gripped the fabric of his pants until he couldn’t feel his hand anymore. 

A thud came from the boat as Sasuke moved around on it. After a while, he stilled on the deck, arms crossed over his chest. 

“Get on.” 

Thoughts swarmed in his head and there was so much Naruto wanted to say, yet he said nothing. Taking one last deep breath, he walked down the dock and stepped onto the boat. His shoulder roughly bumped against Sasuke’s as he moved past him to the railing. He gripped the railing and looked out at the horizon. He could barely see the town from here, it was just a line of tiny blocks in the distance. 

His mind wandered back to Kiba and the others. He wondered what they were doing now. It was probably dinner time for them by now. 

Without warning, the boat lurched beneath him. He fell back on the seat, his hands holding onto the railing for dear life. He glared over at the head of the boat where Sasuke stood in front of the controls. He was starting to miss the little pranks that the other’s played on him. He’d prefer that to Sasuke’s pettiness and micro aggressions. 

Sitting up, he fixed his gaze back on the water. Though he hated to admit it, the rocking of the boat was starting to feel comforting. His eyelids grew heavier by the second and soon he curled up on the bench. It was only an hour drive back to the estate, and he tried to stay awake for the entirety of the trip, but he drifted in and out of sleep. 

He closed his eyes for a few minutes, yet the next thing he knew he was being shaken awake. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up, 

“We’re here.” 

His stomach dropped. He looked up at the mansion that loomed above them. Before he could even sit up, Sasuke was already walking onto the dock towards the estate. Naruto sighed, yet he stood and followed at a distance behind Sasuke. 

The estate was just as he remembered. It sat on its own private island and the main house itself stood tall at three stories. Nighttime made it harder to see, but Naruto could tell that the lawn and bushes were neatly trimmed and the outside of the house didn’t have a single spec of dirt on it. Everything was perfect and clean. 

Walking down the stone pathway, he rubbed his arm. Goosebumps covered his whole forearms. 

Sasuke took out his keys from his pocket as they approached the front door. Naruto shifted from foot to foot. The door creaked open and a bright light immediately greeted them. 

“Welcome back.” An attendant stood in the doorway, head bent down. It was one he didn’t recognize. Behind him, the rest of the house was dark except for the candlestick he held. Sasuke wordlessly stepped in and hung his coat on the rack. He continued down the hallway and then all Naruto could hear was the sound of his footsteps ascending the staircase. 

Naruto awkwardly stood in the doorway. The attendant kept his gaze lowered as he set the candle stick down. “There’s a meal prepared in the kitchen if you’re hungry.”

Even thinking about food made his stomach grumble. He took a tentative step into the house. It was surprisingly warm. Almost unconsciously, his feet started taking him to the kitchen. 

“Sir, your coat.”

Naruto paused. He glanced back at the attendant who had his hand outstretched. Naruto gazed at the rack holding fancy designer coats and then thought about the ratty, patched up coat he’d been wearing for the past year. It hadn’t even been five minutes yet and this place was already starting to feel stuffy. 

“No, I think I’ll keep it.” He took a step forward then stopped again. “Oh, and you don’t have to call me sir. Naruto is just fine.” 

The attendant looked taken aback for a second. He nodded his head silently. With that, Naruto turned and headed for the food in the kitchen.


	3. Memory of Meat Stew

When he first arrived to the Uchuia residence, he had a meal similar to this. It was fifteen years ago when he was five. Fugaku found him alone on the street in some city Naruto already forgot. After that, he gave him a bath and some clothes and brought him back to the estate. When they got there, there was already a meal waiting in the kitchen: some type of meat stew with carrots and potatoes. It was simple, but it was best thing Naruto had ever had. Naruto didn’t think he would stay long, but fifteen years later and he was still here. 

Walking into the kitchen now, it was the same feeling as back then. Sitting on the marble counter was a bowl of meat stew and a spoon beside it. Steam already rose from it, making his mouth water from the scent alone. He pulled the stool out from under the counter and sat down. Picking up the spoon, he ate his dinner alone. 

~~~~~•~~~~~

The house was dead silent. After his meal, he aimlessly wandered the hallways, yet he hated the way that his footsteps would echo in the corridors. Asides from the addition of new decorations and art pieces, everything was the same. He wasn’t sure if he appreciated the similarity just yet though. 

Exhaling, he paused and turned around, going back the direction he came. Despite the nap he took on the boat, he was still tired. As much as he hated to admit it, nothing could beat the bed he had here. 

He went up the stairs and turned right down the hallway towards his room. At the end of the corridor, light streamed out onto the carpet from one of the doors. Sasuke’s room. For a second he forgot they were situated in the same hallway. 

Pushing his room door open, he stood in the threshold. His room was larger than any room he’d ever been in on the mainland, yet that only made it feel emptier Naruto. Sighing, he closed the door behind him and jumped on his bed. Without even bothering to change into his pajamas, he nestled under his comforter and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some chapters will be a bit on the short side so for those I’ll post multiple chapters. Hope the shorter chapter length isn’t too bothersome and thanks for reading!


	4. The Attendant

Darkness was the first thing Naruto saw when he opened his eyes that morning. Heart pounding in his chest, he sat up quickly and swung his legs over the edge of the bed only to realize where he was. Back ‘home’. His shoulders relaxed and he slouched over. 

“Guess it wasn’t a dream,” he said to himself. 

Yawning, he stood and walked toward the window. The moment he yanked the curtains apart, blinding sunlight came through and filled the room. He flinched, shielding his eyes. When his sight adjusted, he looked down at the yards below him. Workers already milled about, tending to the garden, trimming the bushes, carrying various things back and forth. It was probably well into the afternoon already. 

He took a step back and slowly trudged over to his wardrobe. When he opened the doors, he saw freshly folded clothes sitting on the shelf. The majority of it was button up shirts and neutral colored pants, nothing he would ever agree to wearing in public. With a frown on his face, he closed the wardrobe and lifted his arm up to smell the shirt he was wearing.

“Still good for a few more days.”

As Naruto approached the door, he tried to tame his bed head, but random pieces of hair still stuck out. Hand on the doorknob, he paused momentarily, took a deep breath, then swung the door open. 

It was still silent on his floor. No attendants shuffled down the halls with armfuls of clothes—it was just quiet. Closing his door behind him, he hesitantly walked down the hallway towards the stairwell and stopped on the first step. He listened for any noise on the first floor. 

A single attendant stood on the stairs, duster in hand cleaning the railing. A headset covered her ears as she went about chores. Aside from her, there was no other sound, not even that of files being flipped over or that of a pen scratching over paper. Smiling, he went down the stairs. When he came into the foyer, the office that Fugaku usually occupied was empty and Naruto relished in that. Almost skipping, he passed by the office and then stepped out the front door. Sunlight fell on his skin and a nice scent of flowers greeted him. 

As he walked on the gravel path towards the back of the island, the attendants working around him seemed to slow their movements, observing him. They kept their eyes pointed at the ground, yet Naruto could feel a prickle on the back of his neck. He shivered. 

All of them were new faces to him; the previous ones were probably already rotated out. He didn’t know why, but Fugaku never let anyone stay for more than three months. The people he knew have probably been gone for a long while now. What joy he felt seconds ago started to dissipate from him. Feeling that tickle of sadness that began to build in his chest, he huffed.

“Today will be a good day.” His voice was firm and determined, because after yesterday he was tired of feeling sad and weary at every passing second. He wanted to be happy again, and everything be damned he would make that happen for himself.

~~~~~•~~~~~

On the edge of the property laid a small barn. There was a chicken coop, a few goats, and two cows. It was one of Naruto’s favorite places to go. Hidden behind the trees, the barn was secluded, and it was always therapeutic for him being around the animals. 

He opened the surrounding fence and strolled under the wooden roof of the barn. White feathers streamed in the air and the goats started bleating even louder the moment he walked in. 

“Did you guys miss me?” He stepped to the railing and watched as the goats milled around in their little enclosed field, leisurely chewing on grass. Smiling, he placed his hand on the wooden post and climbed over the fence. Focused on their meal, the goats barely paid him any attention. Naruto leaned against the wood and simply watched as they ate. 

“The guys would’ve loved this,” he said thinking of his friends back on the mainland. On silent feet, Naruto shuffled through the grass toward the goats. An arm length away, he lifted his hand out, wanting to feel their fur.

“Hey! You can’t be in there!” Naruto paused and turned his head toward the barn. An attendant stood by the fence, a metal bucket in his hand. The moment Naruto met his eyes, he looked taken aback. He gave a sheepish nod then promptly turned on his heel and walked away. Naruto sighed. 

“I’ll see you guys later.” Waving at the goats, he hopped back over the fence. Out the corner of his eye, he saw that the attendant was crouched down by the cows. Hands in his pocket, he shuffled over and rested his elbows on the railing. 

“Where’s Daisy? The brown cow?” There were two cows, both white with black splotches, not one of them brown like he remembered. The attendant paused. He looked hesitant to speak, but eventually he filled the silence. 

“From what I heard from the previous person in charge, she got sick and was sent to the mainland.”

“Oh. So she’s still alive?”

“I’m not sure.”

The attendant grabbed another bucket and moved on to the other cow. Naruto watched him with interested eyes. It was the first conversation he’s had with a worker for a while. Even before he’d left, they always spoke to him when necessary and always ignored or avoided him. 

“Is there some kind of rule where you guys can’t talk to me?” He was met with silence. It was like talking to Sasuke. Groaning, he hunched over the railing and stretched him arms out in front of him. “Come on, there’s no one else here.”

When he was about to give up and walk away, the attendant spoke once more. “It’s recommended by the elder staff that we shouldn’t talk to household members unless spoke to first.”

“So if I say ‘good morning’ you’re permitted to speak back to me then, right? No one ever says ‘good morning’ to me when I say it to them.” 

“I don’t know anything about that.”

He stood with both buckets and trudged toward the fence. Naruto opened it for him then cleared some space on the nearest table.

“Thanks,” he said softly.

“So...do you think Fugaku said something to the elder staff about not speaking to me or...” Naruto trailed off. “He’s usually strict like that, it’s always so unnecessary. I’m pretty sure he has control issues or something like that.”

The worker paused abruptly. His eyes went wide and Naruto almost laughed at the flabbergasted look on his face. He shrugged, “What? Like I said before no one really comes here.”

By the way his eyebrows scrunched in confusion, Naruto could tell that he was uncomfortable. They were always like that, tense and nervous. Naruto dusted some wood splinters from his hands and picked up one of the buckets of milk. 

“You’re going back to the house right? I’ll help you carry.” Seeing the corner of his eyes crinkle even more made Naruto sigh. “Don’t worry, I’ll hand this back to you once we get close to the house and then go my own way. No one will see me. It’s just nice having someone talk back to me.”

Eventually, the worker nodded. “Deal.”

A grin stretched across Naruto’s face. After the worker cleaned up a little, he grabbed the other bucket and started making his way back to the house with Naruto beside him.

“When’d you start working here?”

“About two months ago.”

“How’s it been so far? Overwhelming?”

“Actually, it’s been nice. The pay is better than anything I could’ve gotten on the mainland and it’s beautiful out here. It’s like its own little kingdom.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

The attendant bit his lip before he spoke again. “Is it overwhelming for you?”

Naruto glanced at him, surprised at the question. He nodded his head. “Yeah. Sometimes it’s not too bad, but it’s just....” He searched his head for the right word, but came up empty. “Boring,” he eventually said. 

“Well I guess when you spend all your time inside it can get boring.” A second passed before a warm blush spread on the attendant’s face. “I didn’t mean that as an insult, of course. It’s just from what I’ve heard from the others and the rumors is that you’re not allowed out all that often. So of course it’s boring for you, totally understandable.”

Naruto laughed, cutting of his rambling. “You’re funny. I didn’t even take that as an insult.”

“Oh.” He breathed a sigh of relief.

“So, there’re rumors about me?”

The attendant tensed up beside him. “A few, per chance.”

Naruto smiled again. “About?”

“...I’m not sure if I should say.”

“Don’t worry, I got thick skin. I won’t get offended so easily.”

“Well,” he started,” no one knows why you really live here. Some say you’re his adopted son, some say you’re also a hired person, or that you personally serve one of the young masters of the house....” he trailed off, a blush returning to his cheeks. It took a moment before the connotations of what he said really sank in. “If I’ve offended you–“

“No, it’s all good, I promise.” They walked in silence. A cool breeze blew by, ruffling the tall grass and ruffling his hair. He switched the bucket to his other hand. 

“Do you want to know why I live here?” He asked after a while.

The attendant stared at Naruto, his eyes twinkling curiosity. “You don’t have to tell me...”

“But you wanna know, right.”

He nodded his head yes. Naruto slowed his pace and inched closer to him. “Well, it’s an interesting story actually...” He paused. When he glanced at the attendant’s face, he already looked so engrossed, just hanging off of every word he said. A smirk grew on Naruto’s face. He suddenly broke away and stopped walking altogether. “Look at that, we’re almost at the main house. We should probably split up here, wouldn’t wanna get you in trouble for being seen with me.”

Naruto extended the bucket towards the attendant. The look on his face made him smile even wider. Once he finally took the bucket from him, Naruto was laughing and wiping tears from the side of his eyes. 

“That was cruel.”

“I couldn’t pass away that opportunity.” Naruto stepped away from him. “But I’ll tell you another time, okay? I promise, you just have to talk to me again.”

That uneasy look in the attendant’s eyes slowly went away, and he nodded his head. “Okay, I promise.” He turned away first and walked forward towards the house, leaving Naruto in the field behind him. 

He felt breathless, excited, like electricity was moving through his body. He stood like that for longer than he planned, then once he was sure enough time passed, he headed forward. The breeze he felt earlier was replaced by a frigid cold that he felt deep within his bones. He’d barely realized how late it had gotten; stars were already peaking out from the sky. 

Excited, he jogged all the way back to the front of the house. By then, it was empty out front and the house once again went back to being vacant and lonely. Though he didn’t feel that loneliness too much today. When he pushed the front door open, he flinched at the bell that was attached to it. It rang through the house, yet Naruto relaxed when nothing happen. He shut the door behind him and headed straight for the stairs. He barely got halfway there before he heard a voice stop him. 

“Where were you? It’s almost seven.” He didn’t even realize he’d been gone that long. Internally, he groaned as he turned to face Sasuke. He stood by the doorway that led to the kitchen. 

“What’s it to you?” He shot back. 

In one graceful movement, Sasuke closed the double doors that led to the kitchen and then stepped towards him. The smell of pine invaded his space and stung his nostrils—Sasuke was too close. When he tried to take a step back, a hand shot out and gripped his wrist.

“You may have already forgotten, but it’s my responsibility to look after you, so whatever stupid things you do—I’m the one who’s held accountable for it.”

Naruto hated the way his words ghosted over his skin. He shivered, snatching his wrist back from him and then taking a step back. 

“I’m not doing anything stupid. So back off.”

Sasuke stared at him, his lips pressed in a tense line. “Remember the rules.”

Naruto wanted to roll his eyes at that phrase; it was something he’d heard non stop from the moment he arrived. Sasuke backed away then opened the double doors behind him. “Dinner‘s in five minutes. Don’t be late.”

Naruto frowned and rubbed his wrist. It started to throb. He was hoping he’d be able to avoid “family” dinners, but tonight wasn’t looking so promising. Trudging upstairs, he opened his room door and leaned back against his door. He was already exhausted. 

Articles of clothing fell on the floor as he changed into one of the stuffy shirts he hated so much. After washing his hands, he slowly trekked back downstairs. He could barely fill his lungs with air as he passed through the threshold into the dining room. 

A glint from the polish of the dining room table provided a good distraction for him as he shuffled into an empty seat. At the corner of his eye he could see Sasuke sitting across from him, and at the end was Fugaku. 

He sat tall in his chair with a plate of food already in front of him. Naruto tensed feeling a set of eyes even more unnerving than Sasuke’s land on him. An attendant shuffled in with a plate of food and set it down in front of him. She hurried out within seconds. 

“Naruto, welcome back.”

Pressing his shoulders back, Naruto mustered up the fakest smile he could and gazed at Fugaku. 

“It’s good to be back home.”


	5. The Attendant—Part 2

The moment the words left his mouth, he could’ve sworn he heard a snicker come from Sasuke, but he ignored it. 

“I’m glad you’re back. A year was a long time to be away.”

“Yes, it was. But I did have fun on the mainland.”

When Fugaku picked up his utensils, Naruto did the same. He had to bite his tongue in order to stop himself from scarfing down all the food on his plate. 

“I’m glad you had fun.” He responded. “Considering that you completely disregard all the precautions and guidelines I set for you.” It felt like a breeze came over the room. Naruto’s grip on his fork loosened as he put it down. 

“Well, I thought it’d be more enjoyable if I got to stay in the town, not outside of it.”

“So you just decided to leave the lodgings I set up for you and stay in town with some strangers.”

Naruto fidgeted in his seat. “They weren’t strangers. I met them when I first arrived on the mainland. They offered for me to stay with them.”

“Naruto,” he said tersely, “I don’t appreciate all the excuses.”

He bit his lip in an attempt to not say anything and make everything worse. He picked up his fork again and stabbed into his steak. A tense silence fell over the dining room. When he glanced up at Sasuke, he was eating from his plate like nothing was happening, almost like he was tuning everything out. 

“That’s all in the past now.” Fugaku took a sip from his water glass and glanced over at Naruto. “Now that you’ve got whatever that was out of your system, I think we’ll all be happier with you here. Permanently.”

Naruto shuddered. He could feel the shackle that was just placed on his ankle. He was meant to understand it as he’d never be leaving again. An uneasy feeling swelled in his gut, and all of a sudden he wasn’t hungry anymore.

That night, Naruto lay awake just staring at his ceiling. His fingers twitched at the thought of shoving whatever clothes he had in a bag and sailing away on a boat, but he didn’t move an inch from the bed. After trying to run away on three separate occasions, he knew it wouldn’t go well. Closing his eyes, he turned on his side and nuzzled his cheek into his pillow. 

He wasn’t sure exactly when he fell asleep, but when he woke that morning, he felt sunlight on his face. With drool on his cheek he sat up and yawned. He was still wearing the same clothes from last night, but he didn’t care. Grabbing his coat from the floor, he went out his door and headed down the staircase in the back this time. He sneaked out the back door and started towards the barn. 

He barely got more than a few steps before he almost ran into someone. Sasuke. Taking a step back, Naruto frowned. 

“What’re you doing outside?” Naruto asked. 

“I should be asking you that. You’re not supposed to go past the hedges in the front without supervision.” 

He huffed, looking away. “I’m not a child. And I wasn’t going to go that far. I just wanted some fresh air.”

“Just stand by the door then. I don’t want to be your babysitter today.” Sasuke walked past him and went inside. It was strange that he was using the back door, but Naruto didn’t ponder over it for long. He stood there by the door until enough time had passed. Glancing behind him, he silently pulled the door shut and looked up at the windows that overlooked the lawn. 

No one was there watching over him. Smiling, Naruto went fast and made his way to the barn. 

  
~~~~~•~~~~~

“It must be nice working with your hands like this.” Naruto sat on the fencing as he watched the attendant work. He tried asking for his name, but he wouldn’t give it to him. It annoyed him, but Naruto eventually let it go. 

“Yeah. The animals are a plus too.”

“Were there animals back where you’re from?”

“Just a dog and too many stray cats,” he responded. He stood over the chickens, throwing grains down in front of them to peck at. Naruto sometimes envied him. Being able to do stuff like this every day, then he even got to leave at one point. At the thought, Naruto sat up.

“Do you know when you’re leaving?”

The attendant paused and gave Naruto a confused look. “You mean when I’m being rotated out? I’m not sure actually. The house staff is switched every few months, but for the outside staff it’s longer. Maybe three more months if I’m lucky.”

Naruto jumped down from the railing. “I hope that’s true.”

The attendant scratched the top of his head. “You like talking to me that much.”

“Of course, you don’t ignore me and you don’t sound like you hate life when you talk to me.”

“...Is that how the others sound when they talk to you? Even those who live in the house?”

Naruto shifted his gaze to the ground. He nodded his head. “There’s another person who lives in the house, though he’s away a lot. He doesn’t sound like that when he talks to me, but it’s different.”

“Different good or different bad?”

Naruto crouched down and stared ahead at the chickens. “You sure feed them a lot. They’re fatter than last time.”

He didn’t address the sudden change of topic, the attendant only smiled and put his pail down. “They’re growing. They need as much food as possible.”

Smiling, Naruto inched closer to a chicken and poked it. “I don’t know if you’re right about that.” He chuckled, then like always Naruto helped him finish chores and walked back with him. 

~~~~~•~~~~~  


It was two days later when Naruto finally found the time to sneak off to the barn. Fugaku had arranged teaching session after teaching session for him ever since he’d gotten back. It was as if he thought Naruto forgot how to read during the one year he was away. As he approached the barn, he pushed all those negative thoughts out his head and walked past the front fencing.

“Good afternoon!” He called out. There was no response, but he heard shuffling in the back. “Did you feed the chickens yet? I can help.” He tried to make his voice seem casual, but he was dying to do some manual work today. When there was just silence, his eyebrow wrinkled on confusion.

“Hello?” When he walked through the other end, he saw someone hunched over a bucket in front of a cow. It wasn’t anyone he recognized though. His heart picked up speed in his chest. 

“Excuse me, where’s the man that usually works here?” When he still got no response, his hand gripped the wooden railing until he felt splinters being forced into his skin. “Please.”

The person didn’t react. They acted like he wasn’t there, like he didn’t even exist. A shaky breath left him, and he found it hard to breath. He turned around and ran out of the barn. When he reached the house, his chest burned and he panted for air. Approaching the front door, he noticed that no one looked familiar. Everyone was new. No one even so much as looked his way. 

Fists clenched, he bustled up the stairs and passed his room. He lifted his hand and pounded at Sasuke’s door until his knuckles were red and aching. Seconds later, the door swung open. Sasuke somehow looked more pissed than he felt, but Naruto didn’t care.

“What’d you do? This was your doing right?” 

“I told you, I’m the one that takes responsibility for your actions. I was just avoiding the worst for both of us.” His voice was low, barely above a whisper. Naruto couldn’t hold back. He stepped forward and grasped the front of his shirt. 

“You had no right! He did nothing wrong. They all did nothing wrong.”

“Why can’t you understand how stupid that was? If he would’ve found out what you were–“

“I was never going to tell him.” Sasuke placed his fingers over the hand that Naruto balled his shirt with. He tightened his grip until he let go. 

“You didn’t need to tell anyone last time.” With a shove, Naruto stumbled back. “I took care of the problem before all hell broke loose once more.”

A thud echoed in the hallway and then Naruto was left staring at the outside of a door.


	6. Memory of The Attendant

There was a time when an attendant was nice to him in the past. Naruto couldn’t remember much, but he knew she was a kind woman. She talked to him and snuck him food, so she had to be nice. She had a friend who drove the boats that delivered goods from the mainland to the island. Naruto didn’t know him as well as he did her, but one day, they offered him a ride to the mainland. He said ‘yes’ almost immediately. 

It was strange that they told him to pack a bag and be ready at midnight by the docks, and it was strange how odd the attendant acted that day. She was nervous. But Naruto ignored it and he did what he was told. He packed his bag and went downstairs to try and meet them outside, but there was a hitch in the plan. Sasuke. 

He heard him leave and followed him downstairs. His memory got hazy after what happened there, but he knew that Sasuke followed him, and that made the attendant mad. It made them scared. Yet he was so desperate to leave, so he still got on the boat. What he wasn’t expecting them to do was hit Sasuke hard enough that he’d pass out. They even called him a ‘witness’ and a ‘threat’, but Naruto couldn’t figure out why. 

They dragged him on the boat too, and before he could even ask, they were bouncing across the waves towards wherever—away from the island. Before, Naruto had always thought of Sasuke as an annoying jerk, but seeing him laying on the floor of the boat—something must’ve changed. 

He was terrified. Terrified that he would never open his eyes again, or call him names, or insult his intelligence anymore. He couldn’t stop shaking at the thought. After that, everything passed in a blur. He heard the attendants shouting about what to do. The only words that stuck out to him were ‘money’, ‘kill’, and ‘bearer’. They’d found out about him, but that didn’t matter to him. Somehow, he ended up on the floor next to Sasuke holding him to his chest, thinking about how much he wanted to go home. 

But soon his wish was granted. He wasn’t sure if it was all a dream, but when he snapped out of his daze, he was back home in his bed. The next morning he saw Sasuke, but there was a bandage wrapped around his head and another one that went around his arm. Whenever he tried to think about what happened, the only things he could remember was a splash and then a loud bang that made his ears ring. When he closed his eyes, he could see a small red stream mixing on the deck with water from the gulf. The scene played on his eyelids so vividly, yet when he opened his eyes, it was all one dream to him. One he’d already forgotten.


	7. Cupcake

Two weeks had passed since all the attendants were replaced and Naruto grown bored. His guilt almost faded by now; it was just a dull pang in his chest that he’d gotten used to by now. After everything, he learned his lesson, and didn’t talk to any of the attendants anymore. Now, he simply wandered the inside of the house. 

It was a day like that where he walked around the house that he came upon the third floor. It was an area he usually avoided, but yet today without even thinking, he trudged up the stairs and continued down the hallway until he reached the end. A window looked out over the front lawn, yet the hallway continued to his left. Before he even realized what was down it, he turned and followed the red carpet that led down the corridor. 

The moment he saw the first painting, he froze, his hands going clammy. Glancing at the portrait, it was of a woman. Her hair was pitch black and straight, and she wore a ruffled dress from her time period. Her face looked beautiful and delicate, a small smile even graced her lips. 

His legs carried him further down the hallway. Portraits of women lined the wall with their names printed in cursive under the canvases. As he kept pushing on, he noticed a change in the paintings. The women stopped smiling after a certain period. A bitter look claimed their faces. Then, at the end, there was the last and most recent picture. The name read Mikoto Uchiha. 

Naruto stared at her portrait. Unlike the women before her, she was smiling. Her eyes bore into him. Clenching his teeth, Naruto turned and left the hall. To him, it was known as the Hallway of Bearers. It was dedicated to those who’d sacrificed their life during childbirth. For the greater good of a long line of descendants—a legacy. 

Nowadays, it was rare to be able to bear children anymore. The population was getting older and no new generation was coming. According to his past history lessons, there was a phenomenon that happened years ago, a name he couldn’t even remember, where a few blessed people were able to bring forth children—a last saving grace for the world where both men and women could produce now. Bearers is what they were called. 

Yet, it was ironic how bearers could give life, but in the process there was a low chance of them even surviving. A life for a life, though, some did get lucky and survive. It usually never happened that way. So as such, bearers were celebrated, and revered, and coveted by all. 

Naruto left the third floor. He could tell by the dimming sun that it was almost time for dinner. Ever since he’d gotten back, Fugaku had been set on eating dinner together. It was a hassle, but Naruto wasn’t going to go against it. Grumbling to himself, he put on his dinner clothes and went downstairs. 

~~~~~•~~~~~

When he entered into the dining room, he was surprised to see a single cupcake in his plate. The moment his eyes landed on it, his stomach dropped. 

“Happy early birthday,” Fugaku said. Naruto stood there blindsided. He couldn’t believe he forgot. His birthday was tomorrow. Once he regained his senses, he sat at his place at the table. He forced a smile on his face, though this time it made his face ache more than it usually did. 

“Thank you.” His voice came out weak.

“You know I usually don’t allow sugar before dinner, but this is fine.”

He gave a curt nod before he picked up his fork. As much as he tried to hide it, the fork trembled in his hand while he cut the cupcake. When he tasted it, the sweetness didn’t even process to him. It was all bitter. 

“How is it?” Fugaku asked. 

Naruto nodded his head. “Good.”

The rest of the dinner went by in silence and this time Naruto didn’t mind it. When everyone had finished their meal, Naruto sat there biting his lip. He stood first and excused himself. Within seconds, he was back in the safety of his room, pacing around on the floor. He wasn’t sure what to do. 

Time was running out for him and his fever was approaching. It was the only thing he really knew about bearers, that when their fevers came they’d lose themselves to their biology and try to find someone to mate with. It frightened him realizing that his wasn’t too far away. But as much as he wanted to hijack a boat and sail away, he couldn’t bring himself to. 

When his legs grew tired, he stopped and plopped down on his bed. He laid on his back, thinking about life back on the mainland. He missed it—how carefree he felt, how free he actually was. He missed everything. Flashes of his friends appeared in his mind, and a smile slowly made its way to his face. 

“Fuck it.” 

He stood from the bed and snuck out of his room. He went down the main staircase and instead of heading straight to the door, he paused in front of Fugaku’s office. The lights were off and not another person was in sight. He pushed the door handle down, and surprisingly, it opened. Stepping in, he went straight for the cabinets in the back. 

For a few seconds, he felt like he was back on the mainland, sneaking through that convenience store looking for the alcohol. And then, there it was, a glass bottle filled with a brown liquor. 

“Jackpot.” He took the bottle off the shelf and exited the room, not even bothering to close the door behind him. He went outside into the cold nighttime air. The bell sounded through the house, but Naruto wasn’t concerned about it. With his bottle of alcohol, he walked across the neatly pedicured grass and eventually sat upon the hill on the side of the house. It overlooked the water and the two boats that bobbed on the waves. 

Uncapping the bottle, he took of swig of whatever was in the bottle. It made his nose burn, but he appreciated how warm it felt down his throat. It was probably midnight by now. His birthday.

He lifted the bottle up in the air, then took another gulp of it. He heard footsteps coming up behind him, but he already knew who it was. Smiling, he patted the ground next to him. 

“Want a drink?”

“What’re you doing?”

“What’s it look like? I’m celebrating my birthday.”

It was silent behind him, then much to his astonishment Sasuke sat next to him. 

“That cupcake wasn’t enough for you.”

Naruto snickered and laid back on the grass behind him. “No, it wasn’t.”

He tried to take another drink, but flinched when he poured liquor on himself. “Damn.”

A hand reached over and took the bottle away from him. He could hear Sasuke muttering the word ‘idiot’ under his breath, but it only made him smile. 

“I forgive you for doing what you did,” Naruto announced, glancing at him. 

“And what exactly did I do?”

“You know.”

Sasuke sighed and returned his gaze. “It was for your own good.”

“Sure it was.”

Those black eyes pierced into him, yet tonight it didn’t bother him. There was a depth to those eyes that had confounded Naruto for the longest time, but he could never figure it out. 

“You don’t remember, do you?”

Naruto sat up and stared at him. “Remember what?”

Sasuke said nothing. He looked away, then took a swig from the bottle himself. Naruto was surprised; laughter bubbled out of him. 

“Sasuke,” he gasped. “What happened to all those rules we have to follow?”

He was met with a glare. “Shut up.”

Naruto laughed again and reached for the bottle. They took turns drinking from it until it ran empty. At that point, Naruto could barely talk straight, yet as always Sasuke was so composed.

“Are you sure you’re human?” He asked him, slurring his words. “You’re just so....” he paused, “robotic.” He hiccuped then chuckled at himself. 

Sasuke looked away from, but Naruto didn’t miss the way he almost smiled. “Are you human? You’re the most chaotic and brainless person I’ve ever met.”

“But you haven’t met that many people. You’re always in your room or in the library. You know there’s more to life than books, right.”

“You’re a moron.”

Naruto smiled and looked up at the sky. The moon hung behind a thick cover of clouds. He wished he could see its light. He reached up and pretended like he was swiping away the clouds with his hand. 

“I don’t want to die.” The words suddenly left his mouth. He laughed at how random it was.

Sasuke straightened up beside him. “Why would you say that?”

“You know why. What’s the mortality rate for male bearers? Like eighty-nine percent. That doesn’t bode well for me.”

Naruto took the empty bottle from Sasuke and turned it over. Not even a single drop came out. “Aww, you finished it all.”

“You won’t die.”

“Oh, so you can control death now.” He hiccuped again. 

“No, you won’t die. You can’t.” 

Naruto rolled his eyes and laid back down. Sleep snuck up on him, and now it was a struggle to keep his eyes open. 

“Whatever you say,” he said. His eyelids were too heavy, so he closed them. Laying on his side, he snuggled in the grass and let himself fall asleep. He couldn’t be sure of it, but before he drifted away, he could’ve sworn he heard something. Words whispered into his ear: 

“You can’t leave me to suffer alone.”


	8. A Toast

Naruto wasn’t surprised when he woke up in his own bed that morning. Sasuke was well acquainted with having to carry him back in from odd places. What surprised him however was the glass of water and bottle of aspirin that laid on the side table beside him. The moment his eyes fell on those pills, a headache throbbed at his temple and nausea swirled in his stomach. Snippets of memories from last night drifted through his mind. 

“Oh. Yeah,” he mumbled, remembering the bottle of alcohol that he nearly chugged. 

He took a couple of pills and stood on wobbly legs. His hand steadied himself on the wall as he hobbled to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he brushed stray pieces of hair from his face to see dark bags under his eyes and blades of grass sticking to his head. He rubbed his eyes. 

“Happy birthday.” 

His voice echoed off the tiles. Sighing, he turned away from the mirror and got the water started for a nice, long bath. 

~~~~~•~~~~~

Walking around the house that day, he found it odd how quiet and vacant the manor seemed. He thought that maybe Fugaku sent all the hired staff away for the day, but when he went downstairs, he saw two attendants standing by the double doors that led to the ballroom. Naruto scratched his head in confusion then tip-toed near the entrance. They spoke in hushed yet easygoing voices. 

“How much longer do we have to do this?” One asked. 

“I don’t know. Maybe another two hours. They should be done soon though.”

A sigh sounded in the hallway. “My feet are killing me.”

“Just be happy we’re getting paid extra for standing around.”

“It’s not like he ever comes to this part of the house–“

The one speaking abruptly cut himself off. A set of footsteps echoed in the hallways as someone approached the workers standing next to the doors. 

“How are preparations coming?” Naruto recognized the voice as Sasuke. He took a step back into the adjacent hallway and pressed himself up against a wall. He wasn’t sure why he was hiding though, it was something his body did automatically. 

“It should be done at four, sir.”

“Just make sure he doesn’t see inside.” Sasuke instructed them about some preparations, and soon the footsteps sounded again as they retreated down the hallway. Then, it went silent. 

Now his curiosity was piqued. Naruto peeked back out at the attendants. They stood straighter and their gazes were pointed at the floor. After a while one of them finally spoke. 

“Man, that whole family is creepy.”

“If you value your job I recommend keeping your voice down.”

Glancing both ways down the hallway, Naruto walked out from the adjacent hall and approached the door. Both attendants flinched at his presence and tensed up. He immediately tried opening the doors, but they wouldn’t budge. They were locked from the outside. He groaned then walked away. 

“There’s too many secrets in this house,” he muttered. He knew they had to be setting up something for his birthday, but not knowing what it was made his stomach feel heavy with unease. The last time he went in the ballroom, it was just a big room filled with dust and aged tablecloths; he didn’t know what to expect now though. 

He turned left and headed out the back door. A bell jingled as he left the house, but he was already near the other side before it even registered to him. He walked around the outside of the house, looking for the windows that viewed into the ballroom. 

From what he remembered, there were four tall windows that covered a side of the house. Yet, when he found them, the curtains were pulled, covering everything happening inside. 

“Damn it.” Despite the curtains, he shuffled through the bushes that sat in front of the windows and pressed his face to the glass. His warm breath fogged up the glass, but still he couldn’t see a peek of what was happening inside. He wrinkled his nose as he took a step back. 

In the reflection on the window, he saw movement coming up beside him. He crossed him arms over his chest and tried looking in the window next to him. 

“I don’t like surprises like this,” Naruto said, cupping his hands over the glass. 

“This wasn’t my idea.” 

When he glanced at Sasuke, he was wearing all black. Naruto raised an eyebrow at it. “Whose funeral are you going to?”

Sasuke ignored his comment. “I need you to come with me.”

Naruto narrowed his eyes at him and backed away. He didn’t trust that at all. 

“Why?”

An annoyed look began to build on Sasuke’s expression. “I’m giving you your birthday gift now.”

If Naruto didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn that his voice sounded slightly....timid. Almost like he was embarrassed. Knowing Sasuke for the majority of his life, he knew this had to be a trap of some kind. He’d never once gotten him a present before on his birthday, nonetheless even wished him a happy birthday. This had to be bad. 

“Stop overthinking it.” That familiar hint of irritation laced his words once more. “Do you want your gift, or not?”

His curiosity got the best of him. Naruto meekly nodded his head. Without a word, Sasuke turned and walked away from the house. Naruto stared at him for a second before he realized he was supposed to follow. He picked up his pace and fell into stride next to Sasuke. 

By the looks of it, it seemed like he was leading him towards the greenhouse. When they reached the entrance to it, Sasuke unlocked the glass door and walked in, closing it after him. Sweet fragrances from flowers filled his nose as sunlight streamed in. 

“Why’re we here?”

“You’ll see.”

Naruto didn’t like the vagueness in his words. It made him frown. “This better be worth it.”

Sasuke led him to a room in the back. He flipped a switch and overhead lights switched on. It looked like a small office, one that hadn’t been used in a while. Naruto stood in the doorway while Sasuke approached the desk. There was a black dial phone that sat on it, then Sasuke picked up the receiver and dialed some numbers on the phone. A ringing noise sounded from the phone. 

Sasuke extended the receiver towards him. Tentatively, he lifted the phone and took it from him. “Who am I speaking to,” he whispered to him. 

“You have an hour. We have to be back at the house by five.” Leaving his question unanswered, Sasuke strode out of the room, closing the door behind him. Naruto looked down at the phone. When he put it back up to his ear, there was a click and suddenly the ringing sound stopped. It was silent on the other end. 

“Hello?” He said. 

“Naruto?”

Hearing the voice, Naruto felt his mind momentarily go blank.

“Kiba?”

There was rustling on the other side of the phone. “Hey guys, it’s Naruto!” 

He could hear other voices coming muffled through the speaker. A grin curled on his face at hearing their voices once more, even if they were all speaking at once. It was just like old times again. Wrapping his fingers around the phone cord, Naruto pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down. 

~~~~~•~~~~~

They filled him in on everything he had missed in his time away. It was mostly stories about failed raids at the local convenience store, or about how the stray dog that lived in the town was actually female. The best part of about it was they didn’t ask him any questions. They just talked like they normally would’ve. It was probably the most he’d laughed or smiled since coming back. 

Time passed by and before he knew it, the sky outside was beginning to get darker. It was almost five. Maybe Fugaku would allow him to be late since it was his birthday, but he knew Sasuke would never allow it. Everything always had to be perfect and on time with him. 

“When do you think you’ll be back?” The question roused him from his thoughts. He shifted in his seat and stared down at the desk below him. 

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. He was met with silence at the answer. The door to the office opened and Sasuke stood there with his hand on the doorknob. Naruto saw the warning look in his eye. Nodding his head, he spun around in his chair, facing away from him.

“I have to go, but I’ll figure something out.”

“Don’t do anything that’ll get you in trouble. It’d be too troublesome if we had to come and bail you out.” He smiled At Shikamaru. 

“Yeah, yeah. Message received.”

“Oh, and ask that guy if we can keep this phone,” Kiba asked. “I know we won’t be able to call you anymore but maybe I can sell it for something.”

“Who’d buy a phone that couldn’t make calls anymore,” he heard someone say on the other end. It made him laugh. 

He unwrapped his finger from the phone cord. “I’m sure you can keep it.”

Behind him, he could feel Sasuke inching closer. His fingers clenched around the receiver even tighter as he heard them say ‘goodbye.’ He was hopeful that he’d get to hear their voices again though, so he said his ‘goodbye’, then hung up the phone. For the next few seconds, all he could do was sit there while different emotions built up within him. Yet it wasn’t bitterness he felt, it was comfort. 

“Naruto–“

“I’m ready.” Before Sasuke could finish his sentence, he stood from the desk and walked to the door. “I’m ready now.”

Sasuke simply nodded and let Naruto lead the way back to the house. The wind felt good on his skin that night, and for once the lights that shone from the manor didn’t seem as intimidating. He was excited. 

Naruto’s pace slowed as he fell into step next to Sasuke. He shoved his hands into his pockets and let his gaze fall to the ground. 

“Thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it.”

“Seriously. That meant a lot to me.” Out the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke staring forward at the house. His face held no trace on any discernible emotion. 

“Does this mean I have to get you something on your birthday?” 

“Anything you get me, I will return.”

“Really? Cause I was thinking about buying you some non-black clothing. That’d be good for you.” He laughed at the glare that Sasuke shot him. Nearing the house, Sasuke walked ahead of him and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He went in after him and followed behind him down the hallway. When they rounded the corner, Naruto realized where they were going. The ballroom. 

“Wait.” He fast walked after Sasuke and grabbed his sleeve. “Should I prepare myself for something? I can fake being sick, I’ve gotten good at that.”

Sasuke took his wrist away from his grasp and smoothed his sleeve out. “Just act like you normally would.”

They reached the front of the doors. This time there were no attendants standing out front. Loud bells and chimes went off all at once as all the clocks in the house rang at five. Naruto couldn’t help the shiver that went up his back. 

“On second thought, I think I need to use the restroom real quick.”

Before he could scurry off, Sasuke grabbed his arm. With his other hand, he turned the door handle, then pushed it open. 

“Happy Birthday!” 

What sounded like a hundred voices bombarded him all at once. His hand unconsciously reached for Sasuke and held onto him. Attendants stood around the room, all facing him. They were looking at him, speaking to him. Confused, he looked at Sasuke for guidance. Yet Sasuke only motioned for him to step inside. The moment he did, the attendants gradually glanced away from him and started to talk among themselves. It was all too strange for him. 

“What’s happening?”

“It’s a party.”

Naruto turned and stared at Fugaku as he walked towards them. “I thought it’d be nice for you to get to experience one.”

Realizing he was still holding onto Sasuke, he quickly let go. A blush lightly dusted his cheeks. He looked around at the crowded room. It was decorated with orange streamers and orange balloons. Music even drifted through the room from hidden speakers. 

“But the staff. Will they get in trouble?”

“No, it’s a special occasion today.” Eyebrows raised in surprise, Naruto looked at Fugaku. He wasn’t sure what to feel. “Let it sink in. Enjoy today.”

Naruto nodded at his words. His eyes flickered around to person to person. They all carried conversations among themselves, some even smiling and waving at him. He’d never experienced something like this before, but Naruto was starting to warm up to it. He didn’t want it to end. 

Despite that feeling, he still didn’t walk up and talk to anyone. He felt happy enough just hearing the room filled with casual voices. He didn’t know how, but soon enough a glass of whatever was being served ended up in his hand, and he was roaming through the room. They talked about mundane things Naruto noticed. About the weather mostly, some of them gossiped about people he didn’t know, but he still enjoyed it nonetheless. Sasuke followed at a distance behind him, but eventually Naruto was able to forget he was there after a while. 

After an hour of observing people, Naruto spotted a table in the back. It was a small table, yet it was overflowing with wrapped gifts. Usually he wasn’t a materialistic person, but seeing so many presents in one place just for him made his heart spike with excitement. He took a step forward, but the sound of chimes throughout the house made him stop. 

The music stopped and gradually all the conversations died out into silence. Everyone turned to face one side of the room and Naruto followed in suit. Standing on a small platform, Fugaku stood with a glass in his hand. His presence overwhelmed the room, and soon enough it didn’t feel as festive as it once did. 

“Thank you all for celebrating this important day with us. Before you all leave for tonight, I would like to raise a toast to Naruto. Happy birthday.” 

Glasses filled the air and the phrase ‘happy birthday’ bounced off the walls as everyone said it again. Naruto felt himself tense. A stiff smile took place on his lips as he meekly lifted his glass. He took a sip, wishing it’d been alcohol that swished around on the inside. 

When Fugaku stepped off the stage, the attendants placed their glasses on an empty table and orderly walked out of the room. And just like that, it was over.


	9. A Gift

“Would you like to open your presents now. Some of the staff took it upon themselves to get you something.”

Naruto felt his shoulders loosen up at the mention of gifts. He nodded his head. As soon as Fugaku agreed, Naruto carefully placed each gift on the ground and sat in the midst of it all. Excitement claimed his movement as he ripped the paper off, letting it haphazardly fall to the floor. The paper was the same for the majority of the presents, but that didn’t matter to him. 

It was easy to tell the difference between Fugaku’s gifts and the workers’. While Fugaku’s gifts were either expensive or some type of book, the workers’ objects were homemade and imperfect. Naruto could tell how much time effort went into them. Knitted quilts and wooden figurines were some of the favorite items he received so far. 

The last two gifts however stood out. One was larger, and the other was wrapped in a shiny, golden paper. He reached for the larger one first. It was heavy, but manageable to lift. When he tore the paper off, he wrestled the box open and paused at what was inside. 

An empty canvas. 

It was similar to the ones hanging on the third floor. His hands suddenly went cold from just touching it. He put it back in the box and slid it near the others. 

“I thought it’d be about time for a portrait. I scheduled for a painter to come tomorrow.” 

Naruto ignored Fugaku’s voice. He tuned it out and reached for the last gift. His hands shook opening it, but eventually he got the paper off. Leather brushed under his skin and a nice scent reached his nose. He turned it over to see it was a book— a scrapbook. 

“What is that?” Fugaku asked.

Naruto shrugged. He opened the first page to see a picture of a city. Trash littered the streets yet in the background, flashes of lights shone on the countless tall buildings. When he looked at the next picture, it was a view from a building. Then the next looked like a different location, like at a small town. 

They were simple pictures, but looking at them Naruto felt like he was momentarily somewhere else. Far away from the island. 

“Who’s it from?” Fugaku demanded.

Naruto discreetly rolled his eyes and turned the book over. A card fell out from the back. His name was neatly written in cursive on the front. When he opened the letter, there were only four words on it. 

Happy Birthday. Enjoy. Signed from Itachi. 

Naruto stared at the name. Gently, he closed the book and placed it on top of the box that held the canvas. 

“It was from Itachi.”

“Oh,” Fugaku seemed pleased at the mere mention of Itachi. “That was nice of him.”

Naruto stood on his feet and faked a yawn. “I think it’s time for bedtime,” he said.

“Today was a lot.”

He nodded his head and took small steps towards the exit. Fugaku said something to Sasuke, and as soon as the attention was off him, Naruto rounded the corner and raced upstairs to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would normally post two chapters since this one is on the short side, but I was busy this week. But I plan on uploading another chapter before next Friday to make it up to you guys. Thanks for reading!


	10. The Painter

Naruto was awake before eight. Fugaku made sure of it because the painter was coming that day. Wearing his best clothes, he ate a lukewarm bowl of porridge and waited. He didn’t know what to expect, but Naruto knew it wasn’t going to be a fun experience. His mind kept wandering back to the hallway of bearers, and every time it did he found it hard to swallow. It was already hard enough to breathe in his collared shirt. 

At least he had a good time yesterday. That was the only redeeming thought that kept him calm and happy. 

Sighing, Naruto pushed his bowl of porridge away from him and stood. He wandered around the dining room, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. The front door was mere steps away, yet he held himself back. He already knew Fugaku was sitting in his main office now keeping watch on it while he worked. That was all the man ever did. 

He groaned from boredom and sat on a window sill that overlooked the front lawn. He wished he would’ve brought the book that Itachi gave him. The fact that it came from him made Naruto feel uncomfortable, but it was something fascinating for him. His fingers drummed on the window frame. 

Turning his back to the window and leaned against the glass. His eyes closed. There was nothing else he could do other than sleep. 

~~~~~•~~~~~

The sound of someone clearing their throat roused him from his sleep. Naruto peeked through one eye to see Fugaku standing before him, his hands clasped behind his back. A disappointed look claimed his face. Stretching his arms out, Naruto leisurely stood up and blinked his eyes. 

“Good morning,” Naruto said. 

“The painter is here. Are you ready?”

Even if he had said ‘no’, nothing would’ve changed, so Naruto only nodded his head. His legs were surprisingly stable as he stood. 

“Good. Follow me.”

Naruto trailed behind him, his hands resting behind his head. He wondered what the painter looked like; his mind only conjured up images of a feeble old man. On one hand, he was excited to see someone new, but when he remembered why the painter was here a sense of dread slowly took hold of him. What he wouldn’t give for another bottle of alcohol now. 

They turned the corner and Fugaku paused in front of the parlor doors. “He’s set up in here.”

The door was already opened and he could hear small noises coming from the inside. Fugaku didn’t step inside though, he glanced at Naruto then walked away, probably on his way back to his office. Naruto linked his fingers together. He took a deep breath, then took a step forward. He peeked inside the room first. 

Two people were already inside. Sasuke was sitting in the corner, his face already showing signs of a scowl. Then, standing in front of the window was a man his age. The canvas from last night was positioned in front of him and he had a pencil in his hand. When Naruto stepped inside the threshold to the room, the man looked up. 

“You’re the one I’m painting today.” It sounded like more of a statement than a question, so Naruto said ‘yes’ and stepped inside. 

“Take a seat.”

He motioned to a seat set up in front of the canvas. Naruto walked forward slowly and took his time sitting down. Sleep still pulled at him from his previous nap in the dining room. His legs splayed out in front of him and he let his arm rest behind him on the back of the chair. 

The painter regarded him before he set his pencil down. “This is a formal portrait, correct?”

“Yep. Why?” Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. 

“You’re sitting like you’re uncultured.”

Naruto sat up in his seat. He didn’t know whether to feel insulted or not. Whenever Sasuke insulted him, it was always obvious, but looking at the painter in front of him, he had a stiff smile on his face. 

“Well how should I sit then?”

“Like him.” He pointed at Sasuke who sat in the corner, legs crossed, back straight, with a book in his hands. Now the scowl was full blown on his face, though he didn’t respond and kept his eyes on his book. 

“Fine,” Naruto huffed. He sat straighter and crossed his legs, placing his hands in his lap. “Like this?”

“Turn your body right.”

Naruto fought back a groan and complied. The painter still didn’t seem satisfied yet. He stepped toward Naruto and lifted his arm to rearrange his pose. 

“You’re not allowed to touch him.” Sasuke’s voice sounded annoyed. 

The painter merely glanced at Sasuke, then backed away. “This position is fine then.”

He picked up his pencil and made a few quick marks on the canvas. Only a minute passed, but Naruto could feel his joints getting stiff. An itch tingled at his nose and it took everything he had within him not to scratch it. 

“How long do I need to be like this?”

“An hour. Then you can take your first break.”

“An hour!” His legs were already starting to go numb. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

Out the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke put his book down. “How hard is sitting in the same place?” He asked. 

“No one asked you.”

“I guess I could do thirty minute sessions with shorter breaks,” the painter said. 

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically. 

“Stay still.”

Naruto locked his arms and legs in place. The sound of his pencil scratching against the canvas filled the silence in the room. Naruto tried to keep his gaze on the same place, pointed out the window, but he found his eyes wandering around the room. 

“Am I allowed to talk?” He asked. 

“For now.”

“What’s your name?”

His eyes stayed glued to the canvas, but he still answered. “Sai.”

“Are you from the mainland?”

“Where’s that?” 

“It’s what the locals call the town on the other side of the gulf. I guess that means you’re not from there though.”

“No.” 

Sai didn’t elaborate, he let the conversation end there. Naruto pursed his lips and went back to looking out the window. He could already tell it was going to be a long day.


	11. The Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter gets just a little NSFW towards the end. So enjoy. If you like it so far leave a kudo/comment and I’ll see you guys next chapter.

Somehow he’d gotten through the first thirty minutes without a hitch. The moment he was allowed his break, he stood up and walked around the room. He cracked his neck and stretched out his arms. 

“You have four minutes left,” Sai told him. 

Grumbling under his breath, Naruto nodded. He bent over and touched his toes, yet when he stood back up he bit the inside of his cheek. A faint pressure pooled in his lower abdomen. He bent over again, yet the sensation didn’t go away. The porridge, he thought. He knew it didn’t taste right. 

The feeling was uncomfortable, yet the longer it persisted, the more he got used to it. Bellyaches were something he was used to, so he knew it’d go away soon. 

For the remainder of his break, he paced around as much as he could, ignoring the glares that Sasuke threw his way, and then it was time for him to sit again. 

Though this time, the second session seemed even longer. When he was allowed to stand again, the pressure in his stomach heightened. He placed his hand over his abdomen and frowned. 

“I gotta use the restroom.” Before anyone could stop him, he rushed out the room and found the nearest bathroom. He knew he sat there longer than his break allowed, but nothing happened. The pressure didn’t go away. 

“Weird,” he said to himself. 

When he returned to the room, Sasuke stood and gave him a look. “We’re now doing forty-five minute long sessions.”

He settled back into his chair. “Give me a break, I’m having stomach issues.”

With a glance from Sasuke, he could see that he didn’t believe him for a second. So Naruto did what he could, and he simply sat there. As time passed by, the pressure became something he couldn’t ignore anymore. It throbbed and the temperature in the room seemed to get hotter. He shifted uncomfortably on his seat. 

“Can you get me some medicine from the sickroom?”

Sasuke didn’t even spare him a look. “That sounds like something you can do during your next break.”

He frowned. “Bastard.”

By the time his next break came, he was out of his seat in a second and walking down the hall. The sickroom was a place he never liked going, but the thought of getting medicine was the only thing that kept him going. When he walked in, he headed straight to the medicine cabinet and moved things around until he found something that would work. The bottle said take one pill, yet Naruto popped two in and took some water. He slipped the bottle into his pocket and took a moment to rest as best as he could. 

It took a few moments, but the pressure he originally felt became muted. He sighed a breath of relief and made his way back downstairs. He’d barely stepped in before Sasuke spoke from his corner. 

“Hour long session this time.”

“Come on! You know how far the sickroom is from here.”

“You could’ve run.” 

“You two seem close.” 

Naruto craned his neck and looked at Sai. “We’re not.”

Naruto trudged over to his seat and sat down. Once again, Sai picked up his pencil and began working away on the canvas. Closing his eyes, Naruto did his best to relax while keeping the same pose. When he let his mind go blank and focused on the sound of the pencil scratching against the canvas, for a second he found it peaceful. It never lasted for long though. His mind would always find its way back to the line of portraits that hung on the third floor. They were engraved into his memory at this point. 

Naruto opened his eyes at the same time a knock sounded on the door. He looked behind him, but Sai made him return to the position. 

Sasuke glanced at the door. He stood and walked out, shutting the door behind him. It must’ve been Fugaku, he thought. Sasuke wouldn’t of left for anyone else. 

“Your keeper seems tense.”

Naruto found himself jolting at the statement. “My keeper? He’s not my keeper.”

“Oh. Sorry, I can never tell when two people are involved–“

“It’s not anything like that!” Naruto cut him off before he could even finish his sentence. “He just....watches over me and follows me around sometimes.”

“Like a keeper,” Sai said. 

“No. It’s different.” 

“Seems complicated then.”

The door opened behind him and Sasuke walked back in. He did seem tense, but he was always like that. 

“Can you finish before six? There’s supposed to be a storm coming around nine tonight.”

“We would have to lengthen the sessions.”

“Okay.”

“Do I get a say in this,” Naruto asked.

“Just do your job and sit there.” 

Naruto pouted and went back to looking out the window. Another thirty minutes slowly went by, and then he could stand again. When he stood this time, he felt that familiar pressure slither its way back into his abdomen. His hand reached down for the bottle of pills in his pocket. 

“I’ll be back.”

“Don’t be late.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” He treaded to the kitchen and got a glass of water. He took two more pills and went back to the room. This time, the pills were less effective. The pressure built the longer he sat. Pain blossomed in his gut. He had to bite on his lip to keep from making any sounds. It only got worse though. And then he couldn’t take it any longer. 

“Bathroom break?”

“You have twenty minutes left.” 

Naruto could only tolerate a few more minutes before he shot up and dashed to the nearest bathroom. He locked the door behind him and sank to the floor. The pain made it hard to move. He clutched his stomach and took two more pills, but it only seemed to make it worse. 

There was pounding on the door behind him, but it fell deaf to his ears. He laid on his side and placed his cheek on the tile of the floor. The coolness of it felt good to him, but it got warmer. Sweat was soon beading on his temple. 

“Naruto, open the door.”

He wanted to ignore Sasuke’s voice, but his arm reached up the wooden door and undid the lock. The door opened behind him, then closed. At first, Sasuke said nothing, then he crouched down next to Naruto and took the bottle of pills from him. 

“How many did you take?”

“I don’t know, maybe five, six.”

“These won’t help.”

“Yeah, and why not?” He spoke through clenched teeth. 

“Your heat is coming closer.”

Naruto tasted blood in his mouth from biting down on his tongue so hard. “I don’t want to talk about that now.”

He hated how weak his voice sounded. He wrenched his eyes shut. 

“It’s your abdomen, right? Do you want the pain to go away.”

Naruto faced him, desperation clear in his eyes. “You know how to make it stop?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

~~~~~•~~~~~

When Sasuke left the room, Naruto remained motionless on the floor. His words floated around in his head. He couldn’t even process it. The pain didn’t wait for him to figure it out though, it got worse and that same pressure spread to his lower back. A small groan left him. He clutched the fabric of his shirt as he thought back to what Sasuke said. It didn’t make sense, but he was willing to do anything he could to make the pain stop. 

His hands shook as he lowered them to his pants. He undid the buttons and undid the zipper. Another wave of pain traveled through his body. He curled up and exhaled. Mustering what little strength he had left, he pushed his pants and underwear down to around his thighs. Despite the pain that coursed through his body, he was surprised to find himself aroused. He shivered. 

The moment he touched himself, a moan left his mouth. He bit his lip again. The pain continued, yet another feeling mingled with it. Pleasure. His mind was in shambles, but his hand moved on its own. Warmth traveled up his spine. By now, his hair was covered in sweat. 

He rutted into his hand, a groan leaving him. He hated how good it felt. His hand moved faster over his length and soon the pain was long forgotten. The only thing he could focus on was finishing.

“Ah.” Small pants were the only sound he could make as he reached the edge. His climax slammed into him. Arching his back, he released into his hand. It was pure bliss. He laid on the bathroom floor, his chest heaving with each breath. He’d never felt so exhausted yet satisfied in his whole life. All he could do was lay there in the aftermath. 

Yet when he regained his senses, he looked down at his hands, a blush spreading on his face. 

“What the hell.”

He stood on wobbly legs and washed his hands immediately. He cleaned himself and pulled his pants back on. Looking in the mirror at himself, a flush covered his whole body and his shirt was soaked with sweat. Rubbing his face, he splashed water on himself then walked out. 

At least the pain had stopped. 

When he exited the room, he jumped when he saw Sasuke waiting by the threshold of the bedroom door. 

“Were you there the whole time?”

Instead of answering, Sasuke handed him a clean set of similar looking clothes. “Change quick. He needs to finish the painting today.”

Naruto could barely look him in the eyes. He took the clothes and quickly went back into the bathroom. He changed then exited. When he came back into the hallway, Sasuke took his clothes from him before he could protest. 

“Go back to the room. I’ll be there shortly.”

With his clothes in hand, he turned down the hallway and disappeared. Eventually, Naruto shuffled back to the room and hoped his embarrassment didn’t show in the finished portrait.


	12. Dull Ache

Sai finished the portrait before six. The way Fugaku looked at it, he looked pleased. Naruto was still in a daze by then. His body felt more relaxed than it had been in the past few months, yet his mind was racing. The day of his heat was getting closer. Sasuke even said it himself. 

Naruto looked down at his hand. He was running out of time. 

“Naruto?” When he gazed up, Fugaku was staring at him. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. “I think I’m just tired. I usually sleep in.”

He didn’t want to look at Sasuke, but his eyes kept flickering over to him as he stood in the corner staring out the window. Naruto looked at him momentarily before tearing his gaze away. 

“You can go back to bed now then.” The legs of the chair scrapped against the floor as he stood. When he moved, he felt a dull ache in his abdomen. The pain had all subsided by now, leaving nothing but his stomach sore in its place. He trudged out of the room, his hand brushing against the wallpaper as he moved down the hallway. 

At the landing of the staircase, he stopped and looked out the windows that framed the front door. Dark clouds covered the sky and the waves, looking almost black, crashed against the shore. 

Eyes glued to the horizon before him, without any thought at all, he opened the front door and walked out onto the lawn. As always, the bell rang at his exit, but he disregarded the sound. It was humid outside. He inhaled deeply, treasuring the fresh air. Two boats floated at the dock near the shore and standing on one of them was an attendant who already looked ready to leave. He inched closer down the hill towards the shore, but at a certain point, his legs stopped like there was an imaginary line he couldn’t cross. 

He plopped down on the grass, watching the waves build. In the distance he could hear the bell from the front door sound again. Footsteps came up behind him and when he glanced behind him, he was somewhat relieved to see it was Sai by himself with his supplies packed under his arms. 

“Is your stomach better?”

The hand that was still cradling his abdomen fell away to his side. “Yeah. Just something I ate.”

“I do sympathize for you.”

He shifted on the grass pulling his knees to his chest. “It wasn’t that bad. Just a little cramp.”

“Not that.” Naruto tilted his head up at him and Sai returned his gaze with a knowing look. “You’re a bearer, aren’t you?”

He shot to his feet and took a step away from him. “How’d you know?”

“I had my suspicions. And you just confirmed them now.” 

Naruto blinked. He let his body relax while he regarded Sai. “You can’t tell anyone.”

“I know. I wouldn’t want your keeper being sent after me.”

“He wouldn’t...” The words fell away from his mouth. He looked at the ground. In the background, all he could hear were the waves crashing against the rocky shore. 

“Why don’t you just leave?” Sai asked. 

Naruto scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I can’t just leave. I’ve already tried it many different times. It’s never worked.”

“If you really wanted to leave, you would figure out a way to make it work. But it’s none of my business, so I shouldn’t get involved anymore than I already have.” 

He remained silent, letting those words sink in over him. Out the corner of his eye, the boats bobbing on the waves caught his attention. He bit his lip. 

“Well, good luck. It was nice painting you.” 

With those parting words, Sai turned and freely walked down to the dock. He boarded the boat, and soon it was nothing but a tiny white dot on the surface. The other boat sat there alone, bouncing like it was becoming to him. He knew where the keys would be. He already knew it had a full tank of gas. It wouldn’t be so hard to run on it and start it before anyone could stop him. 

Naruto turned his head and looked back at the house. The front door was vacant, yet he could feel eyes on him from somewhere. He knew Sasuke was watching, but if he really wanted to leave, he could be on the boat before he would even reach him. If he truly wanted to leave. Did he want to leave? 

There was a dull ache that throbbed in his abdomen, yet when he looked back at the house, he could feel that ache spread to his chest. He clenched his stomach and took a step forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s a short chapter this time, I’ve been slacking with the writing (oops). The next chapter should be longer, but thanks for reading this far!!


	13. Open Door

Wind blew through his hair and the frigid air around him made his nose numb. Sniffling, Naruto drew one arm around himself and shivered at what little warmth it provided. His hands were cold and dry, yet he blew warm breath into them while he looked out at the horizon. 

There was an orange hue in the sky as the sun set behind the waves of the island. The house stood in the distance, the front of it engulfed in dark shadows. Somehow it looked even more ominous from his perch in the tree. Naruto wrapped his arms around the thick trunk of the tree and looked down at the ground below him. 

If Fugaku saw where he was right now, he’d probably have a heart attack. Naruto laughed at the thought. His breath showed as a white puff in the air as he exhaled and pulled his jacket closer to him. It was getting closer to family dinner time, and after missing the last few he knew Fugaku would be upset if he missed one more. His ‘I’m not feeling well’ excuses were starting to become less effective. 

He inhaled deeply, yet his limbs didn’t move. He was too relaxed to try and scale down the tree. But, hearing the sound of crunching leaves getting closer to him, he knew his time was out. Sasuke came into view under the trees. Somehow, he knew exactly where he was and stopped right below him. When those black eyes pointed upwards at him, Naruto couldn’t help the shiver that traveled down his spine. 

Sighing, he climbed down the trunk and jumped, landing with a thud. “You know you don’t have to come get me every time. I know when it’s getting near dinner time.”

“If I didn’t come get you, you’d spend the night up there.”

As much as he wanted to deny it, Naruto knew he was right. It was a fifteen minute walk back to the house and Naruto enjoyed every second of it. Nowadays, staying inside only seemed to make him more jittery. 

He pulled his worn jacket closer to his body as they neared the house. Passing the dock, Naruto stared out at the boats on the water. Whenever he looked at them, he was reminded of the conversation he had with Sai. 

_If you really wanted to leave, you would figure out a way to make it work._

Those words only served to mock him now. A bitter taste in his mouth, Naruto frowned as he followed behind Sasuke. They walked inside and Naruto did his usual chore of getting cleaned up and making his way back downstairs into the dining room. As always, Sasuke was there before him with Fugaku sitting at the head of the table. 

It was a mostly silent meal. Naruto picked at his plate, waiting to be dismissed, but when Fugaku finished eating, he set his utensils down and sat up in his chair. 

“You seem to be spending more time outside. Is there a reason for that?”

Naruto shook his head. “Not really, I just like the fresh air.”

“You should spend more time inside. It’s bad for your health to be spending so much time in the cold.”

He said ‘yes’, but he already knew he’d be back in the same tree tomorrow evening. He pushed his plate away from him and started backing out of his chair. Before he could even take a step, Fugaku spoke again. 

“Sit.” 

Naruto paused, but he sank back down into his seat. He crossed his arms and glanced at Fugaku. “The next year is crucial for your health and I can’t have you playing around with that. Tomorrow you will spend the day with Sasuke.”

He turned and faced Sasuke. “Make sure he doesn’t leave your side.”

“Yes sir.”

Naruto rolled his eyes at Sasuke’s immediate obedience. His fingers wrapped around the armrests of his seat. 

“Can I leave now? I have to use the restroom.”

Naruto didn’t miss the flash of displeasure that showed in Fugaku’s eyes. He stood from the table and exited the room, leaving Naruto at the table. The moment his figure disappeared down the hallway, Naruto grabbed at few rolls from the bread basket on the table and stood. He sauntered towards the threshold.

“It’d be easier for everyone if you stayed in your room tomorrow.”

He groaned and slouched over on the wall. “You’re taking what he said seriously? Just let me do my own thing and lie and tell him that I was with you all day.”

“It won’t work that way.”

“I know he’s your father and all but you don’t have to do exactly everything he says. You break your back doing everything he says and he barely even thanks you.”

By the look of anger that flickered into his gaze, Naruto knew he crossed a line. He took a small step away from Sasuke and moved towards the door. 

“You should mind your own business.” Naruto flinched at the chill that his voice carried. He raised his arms in the air in surrender. 

“Okay, sorry. I won’t be a pain in the ass tomorrow.” Before Sasuke could say anything else, he left the room and went straight upstairs to his bedroom. He sat down on his bed, taking a bite of a roll he carried with him. 

~~~~~•~~~~~

When he woke up the next morning, he groaned and rubbed sleep out of his eyes. Gray clouds covered the sky that day, yet the waves were calm. It would’ve been a nice day to go outside. After getting changed, he stood in front of his window, staring out at the lawn below him. 

“It’d only be for a second.” 

He walked to his door and stood in front of it. Slowly, he turned the doorknob and pushed it open as quietly as he could. Small creaks sounded from the hinges. Naruto froze and peeked out into the hallway. He craned his head right and watched down the corridor at Sasuke’s room door. It was open and light streamed out onto the carpet.

He cursed in his head. He already knew Sasuke would hear his footsteps in the hall. He’d be on him in seconds before he could even make it to the staircase. Huffing, he threw open the door and instead went straight to the open bedroom door. 

He’d never been in Sasuke’s room before, but looking at it now, it perfectly matched his imagination. Everything was clean and organized. Books lined the walls and sitting in front of the window there was a desk with a book open on top. What was missing however, was Sasuke himself. 

“Weird,” he said. Tentatively, he looked down the hallway before he lifted his foot over the threshold of the door. The air seemed to be different in his room, it was colder. The smell of pine and aged papers filled the room. It was a comforting scent. 

He stepped further inside. Exploring his room, it didn’t look like anyone stayed there. Even the bed was neatly made, not a wrinkle to be found. 

“Typical,” he mumbled. When he got to the desk in the back, he touched the book laying on it and closed it to the front cover. His breath caught at the title. 

The Cycle of Bearers: A Study of Their Existence 

He turned the cover of it down on the desk. 

“What’re you doing in here?” Naruto jumped at the sudden voice behind him. Turning around, he saw Sasuke standing in the doorway with more books in his hand. “I thought we agreed that you would stay in your room.”

He walked into the room. His shoulder brushed Naruto’s as he stopped beside him and set the books down on the desk. His scent suddenly invaded his senses. Naruto took a step away from him. 

“I got bored.”

“So you decided to sneak around my room.”

“It’s not like you have much going on in here. It’s all books.”

“Wait outside,” he said firmly. Naruto narrowed his eyes at him, yet he still did as he was told. Waiting by the door, he twiddled with his thumbs. 

“Since you’re my chaperone for the day can we go to the kitchen first? I haven’t eaten yet.”

He was met with silence. There was rustling that came from inside the room. Naruto peeked his face in just as Sasuke passed through the doorway. Their faces mere centimeters apart, Naruto felt his shoulders tense. A warmth settled on his cheeks. He quickly took a step back and watched as Sasuke closed the door behind him. 

“So...kitchen?”

Without a word, Sasuke walked towards the staircase. Exhaling deeply, Naruto followed after him. 

When they walked inside the kitchen, there was already a plate of eggs on the counter. The staff in the kitchen already knew his schedule so well that they had his breakfast ready by twelve at the latest. He sat at a stool in front of the counter and started eating his breakfast while Sasuke just stood by the doorway. 

“You just gonna watch me eat?”

Naruto shrugged off his silent glare and focused back on his meal. The whole time he thought about ways he could sneak out for a few minutes, yet deep down he knew it’d be fruitless. That and he could feel a familiar pressure building in his abdomen. It’d be something he’d have to deal with soon, but Naruto pushed those thoughts away. Wiping his mouth, he put his fork down and rested his elbows on the counter. 

“You have a lot of books in your room,” he said. 

“And?”

“Have you read them all?”

“If you’re done eating you can just go back to your room now.” Naruto scrunched his nose at the thought of being stuck in his room all day. He pushed his plate away from him and stood. 

“You had a book in your room.” He hesitated. “The one about bearers. Why’re you reading it?”

“I don’t see why I have to tell you that.”

“Is Fugaku making you read it?”

“He has no effect over what books I choose to read.” His voice sounded tense as he spoke. 

“But why else would you be reading it then?”

“Unlike you, I like to know what to expect.”

“What does that mean?”

When Sasuke said nothing, Naruto frowned. “Are there other books? I want to read them.”

Instead of ignoring him this time, Sasuke responded with a snicker. “You’ve avoided learning anything about bearers your entire life and now you want to know.”

“I should know what to expect, right?” 

He hated the smug expression that grew on Sasuke’s face. Naruto knew he was going to regret this, and it seemed like Sasuke knew that too. Yet it looked like he took pleasure that. 

“Follow me then.”

His hair stood on end as he trailed after Sasuke. He could back out at anytime, but he didn’t want to give Sasuke that satisfaction of seeing him cower away. So he straightened his back and walked as firmly as he could down the hallway. 

Arriving before the library doors, a chill went through his body. Sasuke opened the doors and went directly towards a bookcase in the back. The floor creaked under him as Naruto stepped in. It wasn’t as old and decrepit as he pictured it to be, yet the room left him with a sense of unease. Not knowing what to do with himself, he sat at a table in the middle of the room while Sasuke moved around behind him. 

Soon, he stepped in front of Naruto and dropped five books in front of him. Unlike the other dust-covered books in the room, these were clean and pristine. They looked new. 

“Go ahead.” Arrogance coated every word he said, and suddenly Naruto’s mouth felt dry. 

“I will.” 

He slid the first book in front of him and opened it up. Small lettering covered the pages and his eyes were already starting to ache just looking at it. His hand trailed up his thigh and clenched the fabric of his pants. Exhaling, he found the first sentence. 

‘The evolutionary phenomenon of bearers, while still recent and relatively unknown, leaves a multitude of questions unanswered. While studying their anatomy provides clues for what separates them from their previous ancestors, the nature of bearers is still a feat for science to unravel. As of now, the main defining features of bearers is their ability to produce offspring regardless of sex, and their short lifespans.’ 

Naruto stopped reading. The uncomfortable feeling in his abdomen spiked. 

“Are you done already? You’re only on the first paragraph.”

Naruto looked up to see mocking black eyes. His fingers dug into the fabric of his pants, then his hands fell to his side. The anger he felt a second before washed away from him. He tilted his head and stared at Sasuke. 

“Why do you hate me so much?”


End file.
